Economic growth in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) has been impressive with GDP. The dominance of foreign-owned bank subsidiaries has transformed the financial sector and altered the risks to financial stability. Reforms should focus on strengthening banking supervision and adapting it to the...

Poverty risk is most marked for children, displaced persons and returnees, unemployed, and people with low education. Basic goals of the macroeconomic framework of the mid-term development strategy of Bosnia and Herzegovina are to reduce the overall public expenditures, lower the public debt,...

Bosnia and Herzegovina has enjoyed rapid growth and price stability in recent years, but stronger policy ownership, improved policy coordination, and meaningful progress in structural reform are needed to provide the basis for sustained, private sector-led growth. Ensuring the sustainability of...

The current account deficit by the Central Bank of Bosnia and Herzegovina in recent years has fluctuated to about 20 percent of GDP. But official current account statistics suffer from several shortcomings. Possible sources of the savings required to achieve a fiscal position consistent with...

Data dissemination practices in Bosnia and Herzegovina meet many of the General Data Dissemination System recommendations for dissemination of macroeconomic statistics in terms of coverage, periodicity, and timeliness. Executive Directors suggest strengthening the mandate of the Bosnia and...

Bosnia and Herzegovina’s 2005 Article IV Consultation reports that inflation has stabilized at industrial country rates, anchored by the currency board. About half of activity is accounted for by the private sector and banks have been almost completely privatized to nonresidents. The fiscal...

Bosnia and Herzegovina has come a long way, but has to achieve more in terms of economic transition. The core and most urgent economic task is corporate restructuring. Labor market institutions need to be transformed alongside. The fiscal and structural reform agenda will require strengthened...

This paper assesses the extent to which data unreliability could alter the assessment of the macroeconomic challenges ahead. The contributions of the indirect tax authority (ITA) in remedying the flaws are highlighted, and the architectural agenda is discussed. Fiscal sustainability and the...

In recent years, the IMF has released a growing number of reports and other documents covering economic and financial developments and trends in member countries. Each report, prepared by a staff team after discussions with government officials, is published at the option of the member country

This Selected Economic Issues paper for Bosnia and Herzegovina reports that output, exports, and incomes have increased and inflation has stabilized. New modern banking laws have been passed in both entities, and the banking sector has been almost completely privatized, with the majority of...